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I’m going to be honest; picking my top ten movies of this past decade has been tough. We’ve had a lot of great ones, and it was hard to pick through all of the b*llsh*t that was released this decade to find them. It’s been one hell of a decades, movies came and went, leaving us shocked, awed, and inspired. The pop culture of movies of the ‘00s brought hope and motivation to people everywhere. That being said, here are my top five films of the decade.

5. I’m Not There

A lot can go wrong when handling a music biopic. In Todd Hayne’s I’m Not There, however, everything seemed to go right. In this beautiful Bob Dylan confession, Cate Blanchett gives one of the finest performances in film history, playing Dylan himself. It’s always an honor just to be nominated for an Academy Award, however the genuine way she portrayed the famed singer-songwriter was worthy of a win. Though one can’t ignore the other amazing performances in I’m Not There. Heath Ledger, whois famously known for his roles in Brokeback Mountain and The Dark Knight, however I’ll always adore him as Robbie, one of the many personas of Dylan. Christian Bale and Ben Wishaw are modern spectacles, as well as Richard Gere as the mysterious Billy. And Kris Kristofferson narrating throughout the entire thing? I’m Not There is an undeniable heartfelt journey through an angered and talented man’s life.

4. Donnie Darko

I’ve been reading a lot of movie critics best of the decade lists, and for some reason this movie is absent from every one of them. Sure, the other two movies that Richard Kelly made after this (Southland Tales and The Box) have sucked, but that doesn’t mean you should ignore his work entirely! Donnie Darko was a fascinating mind trip, one that I showed all of my friends to stunned reactions. Richard Kelly’s brainteaser had one of the best endings that a film could ever have, and one that left audiences divided. It’s Donnie Darko’s continuous debate that landmarked it a classic. Like Where the Wild Things Are, you can have entire conversations dedicated to what the message in all of this is. Jake Gyllenhaal’s Donnie remains one of the creepiest kids I’ve ever laid eyes on, and I’d be lying if I told you that the menacing bunny Frank didn’t pop up in a nightmare from time to time. Donnie Darko was the rare exception where Richard Kelly’s collaboration of ideas and time warps actually worked.

3. WALL∙E

There has been a lot of mesmerizing Pixar tales told over the decade. Many have tried to copy its magic, though many have failed. If this was a list of my favorites of all time, Toy Story would be taking this spot; I even considered Ratatouille. Although the symbolism and moral value of WALL∙E undeniably makes it its best of these ten years. Yeah, it was too message-preachy for the movie’s target audience (ahem, children), however adults walked out of the theater with a different outlook on life. Al Gore’s An Inconvenient Truth was just utter BS when it came to getting people to clean up the earth. Strangely, it took a dysfunctional robot and a spaceship full of fat people to get people to listen.

2. Milk

Like I’m Not There, Gus Van Sant’s Milk hit an emotional chord with me. The only other movie that actually made me want to cry in 2008 was Marley and Me, but that was just because I’ve lost a dog before. Milk had the whole world in tears. There’s a mess of films that have stood up for gay rights in the past, but looking through a list of them on IMDb, there aren’t that many that even hold a candle to the phenomenal Milk. When Mickey Rourke was likely to win Best Actor in a Leading Role for The Wrestler at the Oscars last year, I was pretty disappointed. Then, I was so happy to hear Sean Penn recognized for the best role of his career. Milk taught us all that it’s okay to be different. Not necessarily in a homosexual way, but it left you in good spirits. Even if your eyes were red exiting the marquee.

1. The Lord the Rings Trilogy

I would’ve only chosen one of Peter Jackson’s legendary Lord of the Rings movies, but after seeing Peter Travers rank all three as one on his decade list, I figured why not? It’d be too tough to choose which of the three films was the most endearing. The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers, and Return of the King were epics for fanboys everywhere. I’ve read all of the books (including The Hobbit, which I can’t wait to see on the big screen soon) and it’s easy to see how the movie adaptations could have failed terribly. Although in the hands of Peter Jackson, that was most definitely not the case. The trilogy made Viggo Mortensen a household name, as well as cement Jackson as one of the few directors who’s able to use CGI without going completely crazy with it (Michael Bay, anyone?). The trilogy is the most memorable series since Star Wars; I’ll even go as far as to say that they’re better than any of the Harry Potter movies. Only a certain number have films have really hit it with audiences and critics alike. And for that, my hat goes off to you, LOTR.

Honorable Mentions:

• Achorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy
• Juno
• Paradise Now
• Old School
• The Departed
• Mystic River
• American Psycho

Merry Christmas, Banterers!